Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2 effortlessly pulled off an insane twist by using the same narrative, and imagery twice with the help of the Front Man.

Season 2 of Netflix’s popular show Squid Game just dropped on 26th of December. It was a bit of a wild card, as competing with the first season’s brutality and surprise factor would have been a hard task no matter what. However, according to fans, the season proved to be a worthy successor to the highly rated first season.

Filled with surprises, plot twists, and violently intense action sequences, Squid Game Season 2 provided quite a punch in the gut for the audience. One particular twist, however, has shocked the fans beyond belief. That was obviously the Front Man’s reveal. It not only managed to bring back the sharp surprise from Season 1, but also set up the premise for the show’s next season.

Netflix’s Squid Game Season 2 served a sharp twist with the Front Man

Season 2 of Squid Game came with its own set of twists and turns. However, nothing could have prepared the fans for the reveal of the Front Man. A former winner of the Squid Game, the Front Man, Hwang In-ho (Lee Byung-hun), joined this season again as a participant with his identity hidden.

Lee Jung-jae in Squid Game Season 1 | Credit: Netflix

His motive was to get close to Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), the winner and protagonist of Squid Game Season 1, who returned as a defending champion to the games. Although the creators allowed his participation as the inclusion of a defending champion would bring in more money from the sponsors, they were rightfully wary of him.

After dealing with the trauma of the last game, Gi-hun, a completely different person, although initially agreeable to the creators, had hidden motives of his own. His plan was to jeopardize the game from the inside somehow to take the whole operation down once and for all. Hwang In-ho, who joined the games as Oh Young-il, or contestant 001, was there to keep tabs on him and manipulate him subtly to thwart his plans.

Already a higher-up among the creators by then, In-ho had many things riding on his shoulders and wanted the game to continue. As a result, he slowly throughout Season 2 of Squid Game, became one of Gi-hun’s most trusted allies. All of this came to a bloody climax in the finale in the most brutal way possible.

When Gi-hun tries to lead a rebellion against the guards, In-ho initially pretends to side with them. However, when the fight reaches its climax, he is seen again in his Front Man mask, killing Gi-hun’s old friend Jung-bae (Lee Seo-hwan) right before him. That’s when the reality of the situation hit Gi-hun like a freight train, that he led his friend, along with the others, to a losing battle to die a futile death.

The Front Man’s reveal amps up the tension in Season 2 of Squid Game

The betrayal not only takes the breath out of Gi-hun, but also the fans, who even after knowing his identity were unprepared for Jung-bae’s death. It is made worse by the reveal that the fishing boat captain detective Hwang Jun-ho (Wi Ha-joon) was relying on for so long to find out the whereabouts of the game was a spy.

Gong Yoo as The Salesman in Squid Game | Credit: Netflix

Moreover, a spy presumably hired by the game creators, who had been manipulating Jun-ho the entire time, much like In-ho was manipulating Gi-hun. If anything, it makes people wonder whether he saved Jun-ho three years ago by sheer luck, or was he, too, sent by the Front Man to make sure his brother gets out alive after shooting him.

Inevitably, the fans went crazy after the reveal, and they took to social media to confirm whether what they saw was real or not. From “hallucinations”, to disbelief, the shock had stunned many into wondering what could happen next in Squid Game.

Thankfully for fans, they would not have to wait too long to find out how the rest of the story unfolds. As reportedly, they have already filmed Squid Game Season 3, and plan to release it sometime in 2025.

Squid Game Season 2 is now available to stream on Netflix.